Servicing device for fluorescent lighting fixtures



y 1950 L. F. SMITH ET AL' 2,507,549-

SERVICING DEVICE FOR FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed May 21, 1947 59I2 28 Fig. 2

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Fig. 5 14 i 4 I 4 30 Inventor Lee E Smith Herbert J. Sandstmm WWWPatented May 16, 1950 iJNl'i'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE SERVICING DEVEGEFOR FL'UGRESCENT LIGHTING Lee F. Smith and Herbert J. Sandstrom,Columbia City, @reg.

Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in servicingdevices for fluorescent lighting fixtures and the primary object of thepresent invention is to provide adevice for inserting and removing anelon a d glass light ing tube employed in fluorescent lighting fixturesvAnother important object of the present invention is to provide a deviceof the character referred to including novel means for receiving a leverarm increasing the turning action of the device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a servicingdevice for fluorescent lighting tubes including means for readily andquickly removing and replacing the starters therein.

A still further aim in the present invention is to provide a device ofthe class described that is simple and practical in construction, strongand reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, andotherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the d tails of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention, with partsof the lever handle broken away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1, with parts of the handle brokenaway and shown in section;

Figure 3 is an end view taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line s i ofFigure 2, showing the jaws in an open position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view taken on line55 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line ii6 ofFigure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral ill represents an elongated rod screw-threaded atone end to receive a handle member i2. Pivoted to the other end of rodit is an opposed pair of semi-circular jaws it having resilient pads i 6secured to their inner periphery, to prevent injury to a glass tubegripped by these jaws. One end of one of these jaws is bifurcated as atI8, to pivotally receive the reduced end 20 of the other jaw, as shownbest in Figure 5 of the drawings.

The handle member 12 is further provided with an annular recess 22, thatrotatably receives a ring 2 having a pair of outwardly projecting cars26, which are bifurcated at their outer ends.

A pair of jaw activating bars 28 are pivoted between ears 26 and theother ends of these bars are pivoted between the bifurcated ends of cars30 projecting from the jaws l4.

Secured to one end of member 12 by set screw 32 or the like, is a socketholding member 34 having its outer portion cut away to pivotally receivea lever engaging socket 36.

A collar 33 is threadingly engaged on member 12 facilitating the removalof ring 24 from the handle member.

The outer free ends of the jaws M are provided with opposedsemi-circular apertures 49 which are useful in gripping the starter (notshown) carried by the fluorescent lighting fixtures.

In practical use of the present invention, the handle member i2 isturned in one direction by hand, or by a lever 39 inserted in socket 36,while the rod it is held against rotation by either a user holding therod lb or by one of the jaws contacting a lighting tube placed betweenthe jaws which causes the jaws to spread apart, as best shown in Figure4. of the drawings. To clamp the jaws together and around the peripheryof a lighting tube, it is merely necessary to turn the handle member l2in an opposite direction.

It is often necessary to replace or repair the starters carried by thefluorescent lighting fixture; to accomplish this end the jaws are soheld that the apertures Ml frictionally grip the starter to be priedloose from its socket, with the handle member 52 being adjusted on rodIt to cause the necessary clamping action of the jaws.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprebended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A fluorescent lamp handling tool comprising a handle having aninternally threaded recess, a rod screw-threaded at one end toreceivably engage said threaded recess, a rotatable member carried bysaid handle, a pair of arcuate jaws pivoted at one of their ends to saidrod, and a pair of links connecting said jaws to said rotatable member.

2. A fluorescent lamp handling tool comprising a handle having aninternally threaded recess, a rod screw-threaded at one end toreceivably engage said threaded recess, a rotatable member carried bysaid handle, a pair of substantially semi-circular jaws, one of saidjaws having a bifurcated terminal, the remaining of said jaws having areduced terminal engaging the bifurcated terminal of saidfirst-mentioned jaw, a pin pivoting the engaged terminals of said jawsto said rod, and a pair of actuating links connecting said rotatablemember to said jaws.

3. A fluorescent lamp handling tool comprising a handle having aninternally threaded recess, a rod screw-threaded at one end toreceivably engage said threaded recess, a rotatable member carried bysaid handle, a pair of elongated jaws pivoted at one of their ends tosaid rod, concaved recesses provided in the remaining ends of said jawsfor gripping the starter of a fluorescent lamp, and pitmans connectingsaid rotatable member to said jaws.

4. A fluorescent lamp handling tool comprising a handle having aninternally threaded recess, a rod having a screw-threaded end receivablyengaging the threaded recess, a ring rotatably carried by said handle,ears projecting outwardly from diametrically opposite sides of saidring, a pair of semi-circular jaws pivoted at one of their ends to saidrod, further ears projecting outwardly from the central portions of saidjaws, and a pair of links connecting said first-mentioned ears to saidfurther ears.

5. A fluorescent lamp handling tool comprising a handle having aninternally threaded recess, a rod having a screw-threaded end receivablyengaging the threaded recess, a ring rotatably carried by said handle,ears projecting outwardly from diametrically opposite sides of saidring, a pair of complementary semi-circular jaws, one of said jawshaving a bifurcated terminal, the remaining of said jaws having areduced bifurcated terminal engaging the bifurcated terminal of saidfirst-mentioned jaw, said rod having a flattened terminal engaging saidreduced bifurcated terminal, a pin pivoting the flattened terminal ofsaid rod to the engaged bifurcated terminals of said jaws, further earsprojecting outwardly from the central portions of said jaws, and a pairof connecting links between said firstnientioned ears and said furtherears.

LEE F. SMITH. HERBERT J. SANDSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,193,685 Harvey Aug. 8, 19162,427,842 Diver Sept. 23, 1947

